In the field of construction, ascending or descending from sloped roofs, including both the metal and non-metal varieties, can be hazardous. Many injuries and some deaths occur each year. Safety and efficiency are key in construction productivity. Construction and weather conditions, may challenge the ability of workers to maintain a safe footing.
In the field of building construction, problems incurred with metal roofs notably include safety while standing or walking. A layer of dew, dust, or pollen can create conditions of great hazard for walking metal roofs.
Safety harnesses are required in many areas, yet a worker maintaining a comfortable foothold can still be a concern and, in the course of a work day, can cause leg, ankle, knee, back stress. Many workers on metal roofs have encountered slippery dangerous conditions and fallen. In cases of sudden foul weather, such as rain or snow, loss of footing may cause workers to slip and fall from roofs or be trapped there.
As such, ascending and descending and standing, kneeling or crawling on any metal roof, can be hazardous and cause many injuries and deaths each year. Safety and efficiency are key in worker productivity in dealing with construction and weather conditions in order to maintain a safer foothold such as during installation of material and equipment and in presence of such hazards as including any of water/oil/silicones on the surface.
Damage to finished/painted metal surfaces is often incurred due to falls of workers and hand tools, and equipment due to loss of footing. In the field of metal roof construction and maintenance, workers incur conditions of rain or dust, a hazard which may cause insecure footing and falls. Standing on pitched roofs for hours is fatiguing on leg and back muscles. Lanyards, harnesses, and rib clamps are used in ferritic metal roof construction, yet do little to relieve workers' footing and muscle stress. Also in weather conditions of mist, fog, or rain, safely ascending and descending a pitched metal roof is extremely difficult. Each year many workers are injured and sometimes die in falls from ferritic metal roofs.
It is also known that steel roofing today mimics most known roofing styles such as asphalt shingles, cedar shakes, slate, and terra cotta. Whereas asphalt roofing today is a landfill problem, steel roofing is recyclable. Steel roofing has a long term service capability of up to 60 years or more with good maintenance.
Steel roofing is 100% recyclable with high durability and long-term roofing effectiveness. It offers the option of changing color simply by painting and upgrading an old roof's appearance, thereby, holding a higher value to business and home owner's investment. Yet to workers, roofers, painters, and maintenance people, slipping and falling from steel roofs is very hazardous resulting in may injuries and deaths each year. There is a clear need for providing workers safer ways to walk/traverse steel roofs. Structures such as water towers, tractors, and ship decks also present a footing problem.
In the field of steel roofing, many of the current safety systems do not address footing, sitting in place, or kneeling down positions. Lanyards or harnesses to protect against falls do little to steady or provide secure footing. In conditions of a steep pitch steel roof 6/12 or more, leg and back fatigue from insecure footing can be extreme on workers. Similar problems with slippage of workers atop a non-metallic or magnetically attracting roof surface also exist and which are not adequately addressed by the existing prior art.
Accordingly, in view of the many hazardous and safety concerns associated with steel roofing and steel decking work, there is a clear need for an affordable, easy to use and safer footing system to be available to workers.